'I so want to be out there' | Amid cancer treatment, WVLT's Rick Russo has Tennessee sports on the mind

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - WVLT Sports Director Rick Russo is hard at work getting healthy again so he can continue reporting on East Tennessee sports.

"It's like a roller coaster ride," Rick said, checking in with the WVLT team Thursday. "Some days you're feeling better than others, both physically and mentally. And then there are other days where you just want to break down and cry and just continue to ask yourself, 'why am I in this position? Why am I here?'"

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Rick recently faced his second cancer diagnosis, meaning he had to have his only remaining kidney removed and start dialysis. It's taken him away from the airwaves, but he's working on his "triumphant return."

"Well, I'm coming back, but it's going to take a little bit more time, so I'll probably remain out through Christmas, and then make, hopefully, a triumphant return," Rick said Thursday.

He added that missing out on covering Tennessee sports has taken a toll, but the support he's gotten has helped his health journey.

"First and foremost, I want to thank everybody out there for their support, their emails, their texts, all the Facebook comments and posts," he said. "It's frustrating because I so want to be out there. I so want to be talking about the Vols and the other sports with my colleagues and offering up opinions and doing things like that."

Rick, ever the optimist, knows there's plenty to look forward to in the new year when he gets back in front of the camera.

"But you know what? Sports will be here forever. And I know once I get back, you know, I'll be excited to jump back into it," he said.

Rick's transition to dialysis has taken a toll on him. He said it's offered a new perspective.

"You know, I had respect for people who had to go through that before, and now that respect is even greater. It's through the roof. It's hard. It's exhausting," Rick said. ". On dialys